The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program by the inventor, Robert Edward Lee. The inventor's intention was to develop ornamental Ilex plants with interesting compact plant habits and good landscape performance. This new variety, hereinafter referred to as ‘BLH01’, was discovered as a seedling, resulting from seeds collected form a large open pollination breeding program including many various species of Ilex. Parent varieties and date of the open pollination are unknown. Seeds were planted in Fall of 2005, with selection occurring the following year, and final selection made during 2010. The open pollination, planting and selection of the new variety all occurred at a commercial nursery in Independence, La.
After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor first organized propagation of ‘BLH01’ by vegetative cuttings Fall of 2007 at the same commercial nursery in Independence, La. The inventor continued controlled testing and propagation, assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety. At least three generations have been reproduced and have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.